Roller-skate.



W. WARE.

ROLLER SKATE.

APPLICATION FiLED MAR. 31. 19!?- Patented F eb. 18, 1919..

. 11 7%??? Wan.

' WALTER WARE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ROLLER-SKATE.

1 .dtlldhllidd.

To all whom/it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER WARE, a] citizen of the United States,residinr at Chicago, in the county of Cook and gtate of Illinois, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Roller-Skates, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to roller skates, and

the objects are to strengthen the skate and a socket 4 for receiving theball til simplify the construction thereof. These objects are obtainedby the mechanism and structural expedients shown in the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of'a skate embodying the invention, a portlonbelng shown in vertical central section.

\ Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view, a portion of one of the axles andassociated parts being removed to better reveal-the construction.

Fig. 3 is a ing, and

Fig. A is a perspective view showing a fragment of the hanger toillustrate the ball and socket form of joint.

Similar numerals refer to similar throughout the several views.

The shoe plate 1 may assume any convenient form and is adapted to befastened to the shoe of the user. In the present case it consists ofsheet metal and has marginal ribs 2 for strengthenin it. the undersideof this p ate are two plates They are duplicates of each other andpreferably made of cast metal. Each has 5 formed at the upper end of thehan er stem 6. The hangers also are prefera ly of cast metal and areduplicates of each other, and each is provided at its lower end with anaxle 7 on which the wheels or rollers 8 are mounted. A platform 10 isformed upon each hanger for supporting a cushion 11 which is interposedbetween the platform and the boss 12 formed upon the companion frame 3.A stud 13 passes freely through a suitable aperture in platperspectiveview of the trussparts form 10 and also through the cushion 11' andscrews into the boss 12 for holding the parts assembled as best shown atthe left hand of Fig. 1. By preference, cushion 11 is cylindrical anprovided at its upper end with a pressed metal cap 14. It is 7 made ofrubber or other resilient material.

The parts are so constructed that the stem 6 of the hanger extendsobliquely upward Specification of Letters Patent;

Application filed March 31. 191?. serial No.

Fastened to held fast by Patented Feb. 18,1919. weave.

from the axle and outward toward the end of the skate," while the stud13 extends from a point near the axle obliquely upward and inward towardthe middle of the skate. The stem and the stud are approximately atright angles to each other. The socket 4 and 'ball 5 at each end of theskate constitute a ball and socket joint and the result is that thestems 6 of the hangers constitute, in effect, axes which permit thehangers to turn slightly, in response to the variations in pressure bythe foot of the user upon the familiar roller-skate principle. Toillustrate, when the user throws his weight to the ri ht side of theshoe plate, the front axle wi 1 turn slightly to the right and the rearaxle slightly to the left, thus causing the skate to curve to the right.The movement for never very great and the cushions are sumcientlyresilient and yielding to permit it.

The ,screw studs are connected to the hangers loosely enough to permitthem to make their necessary movement, but at the same time afiordadequate means for holding the parts assembled with the balls 5 in thesockets 4.

Roller skates are usually weak in the middle. In the presentconstruction, however, the skate is extremely strong at this point andthe added weight of material is inconsequential. This advantage isobtained in the following manner:

A shoulder rivet 16 shoe plate 1 near the middle and against theshoulder of the rivet at the bottom bears a flat bar 17. This bar isriveted at the ends to feet 18 formed at the inner ends of the plates 3.A brace 20 is riveted to the underside of the bar 17 at rivet 16. Theouter ends of this brace have partially upturned feet 21 which. areapertured to accommodate the studs 13. They bear against the bottom ofthe bosses 12 and are lock nuts 22. This results in the formation of avery strong truss which acts as a most efiective reinforcement at themiddle of the skate. It will be noted that the feet 21 engage the bosses12 upon a plane almost transverse to the leg of brace 20 which liesbetween the riivetand the boss. In other words, there is a firm abutmentfor the end of the brace 20, and this abutment is faced in a directionadvantageous in resisting the tensional strain in the brace. A forceexerted downward this purpose is is fastened to the at the middle of theskate would put rivet 161 undercompression and would put bothcomparatively the brace and the bar 17 under tension, and hence there isa true trussing efiect.

The operation will be readily understood from the foregoing. As the userswings his weight from one side of the skate to the other he causescompression in one side or the other of the cushions 11 and acorresponding rotation of the balls 5 in the socket 4. This ermits theaxles to turn to the rightor eft, as required.

The parts are few in number and are simple in form and yet they afi'ordgreat strength. Furthermore, the cost of manufacture is reduced by thususing duplicate plates 3 and duplicate hangers at each end of the skate.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as'new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

In a roller skate, a shoe plate, wheel and axle supports at the ends ofthe shoe plate respectively, a bar spaced from the under side of theshoe plate and having its central portion connected to said plate andits ends secured to the supports respectively, and a brace having itscenter secured to said bar and diverging portions extending away fromthe shoe plate and terminating in angular disposed ends securedrespectively to the supports.

In witness whereof, scribed my name.

I have hereunto sub- WALTER WARE.

